Question by KayeJohn: Are my dog’s hot spots getting better or worse?
My dog was recently diagnosed with allergies and suffered through a pretty nasty hot spot right above her tail. The vet gave her a steroid shot (this was roughly two or three weeks ago) to help her cope and I treated the hot spot at home with an antiseptic spray and natural oils (aloe vera, witch hazel, etc.) She was very much relieved, I definitely saw a huge improvement, and I thought the raw area had begun to scab over and heal once I saw some crusty bits in her fur.

Unfortunately, just tonight she began acting restless, and licked the area raw within an hour. There’s no fur around the hot spot any more and I can clearly see the angry red skin. I cleaned the area and used the medicated sprays again to stop her from licking and gnawing, but what does this mean? Did the steroids wear off or was a nasty scab itching her? Should I risk taking her in to the vet in case he recommends more steroids or is there more I should do to treat her at home?

She’s napping just fine now, about thirty minutes after I applied the antiseptic and oils. The hot spot still looks angry and gross though.
Ah thanks, I was afraid of that. I didn’t think her diet would be an issue because I’ve always fed her food with protein as the first ingredient. She’s seven years old and this was her first noticeable reaction of this sort. I had guessed that her allergy stemmed from bug bites since her hot spot coincided with a trip to the family farm. Does this mean my house now has fleas lurking somewhere that keep bothering her? If she is allergic to fleas, would it have been possible not to notice for seven years?

Best answer:

Answer by MamaBas
Yes, the benefit of the steroid shot has probably worn off. In any case, it may be better to look to the cause, much as relief is needed. And maybe antibiotics are needed, to help it heal if it’s an open wound. Perhaps you should look for another feed (switching gradually), one with a low protein level, and no cereal. But yes, get back to the vet. If nothing else, he should log that the steroid treatment hasn’t totally sorted the problem out.

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Question by NeSiA ^^: is iams or eukanuba better than alpo in any way for my puppy?
i know they are all low quality dog food but i am kinda short on money for now… but i still want to give good stuff to my puppy
right now i am using alpo puppy and because of some skin problems my vet told me to get some food with lamb in it coz beef or chicken can trigger some allergies….
so….
are they better than alpo in any way? if yes, which one is better?
im sorry i dont live in america… too bad =(
im sorry i dont live in america… too bad =(
but i might find some of those food brands here..

Best answer:

Answer by ilikesugar:]
Your vet is wrong. Grains are usually what causes the allergies. You need a food without grains.

If your budget is low, and you’re still looking for a high quality food, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul is going to be the most worthwhile for your budget, and your dog’s health. You can purchase it at your local pet store. I wouldn’t go to Petco or Petsmart to purchase it, because they tend to charge a ton, but if you have a smaller, local pet store… It should go for around $ 25 for a bag.

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Question by shatteredxice: Authority Harvest Baked… Better Than Royal Canin?
Is Authority Harvest Baked better for my Labrador Retriever than Royal Canin:Labrador Retriever is?

Ok, I have heard about the best brands of dog foods out there, Innova, Karma, California Natural, Evo, Wellness, etc., but no pet stores in my area sells them!

I just switched my dog to Authority Harvest Baked because Royal Canin was getting way too expensive, but don’t get me wrong, I do want the best for my dog, but I heard Authority is better for cheaper too!

Please, please, I’m really really begging you, I have asked this question multiple times, and all my answers were “Well we feed my dog……..it’s the best food! It helped my dog with all his allergies, etc.” or “Actually,…………. is better, it’s high quality and inexpensive, you should feed your dog that” or “My dog is on……. he’s doing so good on it!” Well, please please please, I only just want to know whether Authority Harvest Baked is better than Royal Canin:Labrador Retriever!
Thanks for your time!
Authority Harvest Baked has all natural ingredients, is baked, but has wheat as the second ingredient (not good!). Includes vegetables, and fruits too! Doesn’t have by products, fillers, corn, etc.

Royal Canin has nutrients specialized for my dog (Labrador Retriever). Not all natural ingredients, but has no vegetables, or fruits. No by products, corn, fillers, etc. Has salt
bgolden28! That is not true! Royal Canin isn’t made from Diamond… I looked it up and everything. They are both made by different and seperate companies.

Best answer:

Answer by bgolden28
just some FYI, royal canin is made by Diamond dog food who was responsible the deaths of hundreds of dogs throughout the country due to a mold that was allowed to grow on the grains used for the dog food

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Question by blr275: How to make dog feel better from allergies?
I’ve got a german shepherd who has horrible allergies. He is allergic to most foods, pollens, grasses, and yeast infections of the skin. He is incredibly itchy and will scratch hours into the night, even though he is on a vet prescribed medicine in which he takes 3 pills, 3 times a day and occasionally takes benedryl. And about once a year he gets allergy shots. They help but he can’t get them often because the steroids are dangerous.

He has scratched so much that his back legs are weakened, he has given himself hot spots, and he has removed a lot of his hair (mainly ears and one side, not completely naked just spotting), and he scratches from barely being touched.

We have to wash him about twice a weak (vet orders) to remove the yeast from his skin (we moisturize him also, since bathing removes needed oils from his skin). But he can’t have a lot of the soothing shampoos (he’s allergic to oatmeal). What might help his skin or end some of the iching that we can apply to him? Also, Since his back legs are flimsy now are there any exercises that might help him out? Are there any herbal remedies (drops to mix with water), or anything that has maybe helped your dog?

Extra:
The dog doesn’t get along with others at all, so exercises can’t really be going to a dog park or anything like that, plus when he is outdoors in grass his scratching gets worse.
He doesn’t have mange. We had the allergies confirmed through a blood test so we have the exact list of what he is allergic to. Here is the list:

Blue grass/June Grass
Orchard Grass
Bermuda
Timothy Grass
Johnson Grass
Ragweed
Pigweed
Cocklebur
Sage
Waterhemp
Cottonwood
Box Elder/Maple
Elm
Mulberry
Sycamore
Aspergillus
Cladosporium
Rhizopus
Stemphylium
Nigrospora
Housedust/mites
Poultry Mix
Milk
Corn
Oat
White Potato
Kelp
Alfalfa
Cotton
Malassezia

He’s on sentinel flea prevention and doesn’t have fleas or ticks.

Best answer:

Answer by Native Witch
Benadryl is good but you already knew that. The meds that he is on, is it called Vanectyl-P (small pink tablet), if so, that’s a great med for allergies. Another option which helps for yeast infection is Surolan. This med helps when your dog gets yeast infection or an allergic reaction, which fits perfectly for your dog. Which brand of food is your dog on? There’s MediCal hypoallergenic, but there are others. Your dog may be allergic to corn, soy, wheat or a certain meat. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions.

Sophie

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Question by donaldblake2007: Is there anything I can do to make my dog’s itchiness better?
My dog has either come down with some kind of bad skin allergy or has fleas, because he literally can’t go about 7 or 8 seconds without turning around and biting/scratching himself. I haven’t checked for fleas yet, but he’s really itchy so I doubt if it’s a skin allergen. We can’t get him in for a fleabath until at least Monday, so is there anything we can do at home to make it more comfortable for him until we can get him in?

Best answer:

Answer by missy
bennadryl will help with the itching

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